Amen Thompson

Draft Notes

Amen (along with his twin brother Ausar) is a high level prospect with elite level athleticism who has taken an alternative route to the NBA, playing in the Overtime Elite league instead of college. This complicates his evaluation a bit but it’s still clear that he’s a first round talent with lottery potential.

Amen has great size for a combo guard, a crazy quick first step and explosive athleticism. He also has a high level feel for the game and is a great passer (who sometimes tries to do too much but plays an unselfish game and loves to find teammates).

For all his ball skills and passing ability the thing that stands out most about Amen is his ability to fly through the air effortlessly and play with his head at the rim. He’s got long arms and bounce and it can look like he’s playing on a 9-foot hoop. He also has tight handles and can break down defenders with the dribble, using his quick first step to get in the lane.

He has a lot of room for improvement as a jump shooter and this swing skill will determine if he’s an elite NBA player or just a solid NBA player. His 3pt shooting is a work in progress and he struggles from the FT line.

It would have been nice to see him play in the more structured and competitive landscape of a high major NCAA program but at the end of the day this shouldn’t do much to affect his draft stock.

Comparisons

• NA

Draft Projection

lottery pick in the 2023 NBA Draft

2023 SG Rankings

1. Nick Smith – 6-4 – Arkansas
2. Ausar Thompson – 6-6 – Overtime Elite
3. Keyonte George – 6-5 – Baylor
4. Jordan Hawkins – 6-5 – UConn
5. Kobe Bufkin – 6-4 – Michigan
6. Sidy Cissoko – 6-7 – G League Ignite (France)
7. Terquavion Smith – 6-4 – NC State
8. Marcus Sasser – 6-2 – Houston
9. Brandin Podziemski – 6-5 – Santa Clara
10. Ricky Council IV – 6-6 – Arkansas
11. Amari Bailey – 6-4 – UCLA
12. Nikola Durišić – 6-8 – Serbia
13. Baylor Scheierman – 6-6- Creighton
14. Mojave King – 6-5 – Ignite (Australia)
15. Kevin McCullar Jr. – 6-6 – Kansas
16. D’Moi Hodge – 6-4 – Missouri
17. Jaylen Clark – 6-5 – UCLA
18. Isaiah Wong – 6-4 – Miami
19. Davonte Davis – 6-4 – Arkansas
20. Drew Peterson – 6-9 – USC
21. Harrison Ingram – 6-8 – Stanford
22. Matthew Murrell – 6-4 – Mississippi
23. Caleb Love – 6-3 – UNC
24. Adam Flagler – 6-3 – Baylor
25. Fedor Zugic – 6-6 – Montenegro
26. Allen Flanigan 6-6 – Auburn
27. Isiaih Mosely – 6-5 – Missouri
28. Jayson Tchicamboud – 6-5 – France
29. Justin Moore – 6-4 – Villanova
30. Josiah James – 6-6 – Tennessee
31. Nimari Burnett – 6-3 – Alabama